Geostorm: Love in space
by WATERMELON HOBO
Summary: Set after the destruction of the ISS, Jake Lawson realises that he has feelings for the German Chief scientist, Ute Fassbinder, on board the ISS. Embark on a journey of love, hope and how the lives of our characters intertwine.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The blue marble. That was what they called it. Earth looked so tranquil and peaceful against the dark backdrop of space and debris. One would not have been able to tell that just moments ago, earthquakes ripped through Vietnam, tornadoes devastated India and hurricanes obliterated cities throughout the United States. Seeing the place he loved so dear be safe once again gave Jake Lawson a sense of pride knowing that the citizens of earth, including his daughter, would be able to live another day.

Self destruct entering phase 4. Time left to complete destruction… 27 seconds

The monotonous voice of the command computer aboard the ISS jolted Jake from his reverie and reminded him of the urgency of the situation at hand. " I promise i'll get home safely dear…" Jake thought as he imagined his daughter's face. At that very moment, it was clear what he had to do. He had to make it back to his baby girl. Surveying the destruction around him, Jake rushed towards the German scientist who had chose to remain with him even though it could have costed her her life. " Fass, we have to go! This shit is gonna blow in 25 seconds!" Fass turned to him and let out a sad smile. "Jake, it's too late, we have no means of escape…" Jake shook his head and pleaded " Look i'm not gonna let you die here! You risked your life for me and now i'm gonna save yours!" Grabbing her hand, Jake moved towards the nearest satellite, the P19T. " Get in! We can still get out of the blast radius!" Jumping inside the craft after her, he ignited the engines. With a roar, the satellite accelerated forward into the vast emptiness of space, leaving the burning station behind.

Turning to look back, Jake and Fass were greeted by a raging fireball which engulfed the entire station. The 70 000 tonne station was reduced to nothing more than flaming rubble, consumed by the flames of the raging inferno. Holding back tears, he could do nothing but watch as his life's work was torn away from him. The sound of sniffling filled the craft. Turning back, Jake could see Fass's red puffy eyes as tears streaked down her face. The German scientist was trying to turn away but Jake could see the fear in her eyes. The fear of never being able to make it back alive. The fear of never being able to hug her family. The fear of dying in the vast blackness of space. "Hey… are you alright?" he whispered soothingly as he moved closer towards her. " Ye...yes. I'm just afrai… afraid of dying in space. We have no food aboard and our air supply can only hold out for another 6 hours. Ja… Jake… I'm scared. What if we don't make it back alive… No one will find our bodies. We will… we…" she buried her face in her hands as the sound of sobbing filled the air. He couldn't take it anymore. Unable to bear to see her in such away, Jake wrapped her in a tight embrace as she slowly inched towards him. " Shh… it's alright. I'm pretty sure the folks at NASA have seen the distress call i sent out…I promised you i won't let you die here. Not tonight." he whispered comfortingly as the German rested her head on his chest.

Looking up, she smiled through the tears and said " You're right, i trust you." Jake smiled back, satisfied that her fears had been allayed. Staring out the window of the satellite, Jake could see the blue marble, the very place he called home get smaller and smaller. His hunch had better been right. Holding her close to him, Jake prayed that rescue would come. Letting out a yawn, he realised that it had been almost 32 hours since he last slept. "What a crazy journey it has been" he thought to himself. " Hey, we better get some sleep…" he said as he looked at her but there was no reply for she had already fallen asleep in his arms. " Poor girl, she must be exhausted" he thought as he cuddled her tighter. The temperature around them had started to drop. The heating systems would not hold out for long. Holding the brunette closer, Jake closed his eyes and the last sensations he remembered feeling before sleep took him was her breath on his chest, the softness of her skin and the smell of maple syrup in her hair.

The roar of the engines above them shook them out of their sleep. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Fass looked outside the window. What greeted her was an amazing yet disgusting sight. Hernandez's face in the space shuttle's window. For the first time in hours, she let out a smile. They were going home. The shuttle latched on to the satellite as the passengers floated into the safety of the shuttle. Jake followed behind her as they entered the decompression chamber. "She really is something special" he thought as they moved into the command centre of the shuttle.

To be continued


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The bright and relatively spacious interior of the shuttle was a stark contrast against the dark cramped quarters of the satellite pod. " Oh wow… I didn't think that we would see this again…" she whispered, tracing her fingers over the metal hull, as her senses slowly accustomed to her new environs. She could hear the beep of the advanced technology systems, the steady hum of the machinery and the footsteps approaching her. Taking in a deep breath, she wiped the little bubble of joy which had formed at the corner of her eye. Behind her, Jake let out a smile. They were safe… _She was safe._

" Fass…"

That was all Hernandez could muster before running towards her, wrapping her in a tight embrace. " Are you ok? Are you hurt?" the concerned Hernandez asked. " Thanks for worrying about me but i'm alright thanks to Jake. It was his idea to evacuate in the satellite. Without him, I wouldn't have made it…" Fass said slowly, her voice trembling at the thought of what would have happened if Jake had not been there. Nodding, the concerned man let out a sigh of relief.

At this moment, the 6 foot five American walked in. " Jake, I'm so glad you are fine!" exclaimed Hernandez as he ran over and gave him a bear hug. " It's good to see you too pal" said Jake as a grin spread across his face.

Cheers erupted throughout the control centre in Houston as the sight in the shuttle was caught on camera. President Palma smiled for the first time in what felt like an eternity. They were coming back.

Strapped into the seats aboard the shuttle, Jake stared at the ceiling, utterly exhausted as the rush of adrenaline wore off. The events of the past few hours had taken their toll on his mind and body. He needed some time to think them through. The confrontation with Duncan in the control room… The deactivation procedure… The satellite… _Her_

He had remembered how vulnerable she looked in the pod as tears streaked down her face, turning her big brown eyes red and puffy. He recalled staring into a seemingly endless darkness filled with the occasional debris and space rock. Just those memories alone caused him to sink into a deep thought. He hadn't always been the best father he could have been. There were countless days and nights where he'd lay by the truck in the grassy yard with a cold one by his side as he stared into the dark night sky. He would envision being up there on the ISS with his crew but just like the stars in the night sky, it was an unattainable, almost ludicrous dream. It was as if an invisible veil had shrouded him, causing him to be filled with anguish. He thought of all the times he would wake up in his bed every morning, devoid of meaning or purpose. There were days in which the only conversation he would have with his daughter would be the words " What would you like for dinner?" Jake recalled a time where things were better. Perhaps it was when his wife was still with him as the house was never a dull place. Shrieks of laughter and joy would fill the hallways which were languishing in silence. But what hurt him most were the words his daughter had uttered to him prior to his trip to the ISS. " You're never a dependable person." Those five words had hit home… hard. It was the first time in ages in which Jake had felt such guttural emotions. Sadness, guilt and regret had seemingly formed a dagger, stabbing at his heart. The feeling of soft warmth flesh disrupted his train of thought. Raising his head, he saw that Fass had interlocked her fingers with his and was caressing his hand.

" Everything alright?" She asked, concern evident in her eyes.

" Yea, it's just that the events in the past few days have been rather… overwhelming." Jake smiled.

Clasping her hand tighter around his, Fass leaned closer and whispered " Thank you Jake… I owe my life to you… If you had not been there, i would have perished."

Jake could smell the scent of her warm skin, the maple syrup shampoo on her hair. She smelled... _wonderful._ He simply smiled as she moved closer towards him, pressing herself into his muscular chest. Her arms moved behind him wrapping them around his neck as she leaned in closer and closer. Jake could feel her hot sweet breath against his neck as she they locked lips. She tasted sweet like strawberries as the sensation of warmth spread throughout his body, radiating throughout his entire being. Frankly, he didn't want this moment to end as she gripped him tighter. Soon, everything around them faded into oblivion as all that remained was the feeling of her lips on his, the feel of her fingers running through his hair and the lovely feeling of her body on his. It had been a while since he felt so _free…_ so _alive…_

" Prepare for reentry in 10… 9…"

The two pulled away from their passionate, intimate and tender kiss. Fass stared into his big blue eyes and whispered " I love you Jake…" " I love you to Fass…" he said as they strapped themselves into their seats. Jake had no idea what was going to happen once they landed but he knew one thing was certain, she was going to be a key piece in his life from now onwards.

Leaning back into his seat, he let out a smile as he glanced at her, only to find her smiling back at him.


	3. Chapter 3

Hi guys, I'm back. Firstly, I owe you guys an apology. The past year has been pretty hectic and demanding for me so I haven't put in much time to update this story. I want to express my sincere thanks to my readers who have favorited and reviewed this story. Before 2018 ends, I really want to keep this story going so here's the next chapter! Happy new years in advance too

The shuttle rattled heavily as it reentered the atmosphere. It was as if a light switch had been flipped on abruptly as in an instant, the dark stretches of space were replaced by the light streaming in from the shuttle windows.

"Woah… that's pretty bright" Jake said as he squinted, his eyes readjusting to his new environment. The seemingly small patches of brown and green as seen from the ISS morphed into a vast expanse of land. In the distance, Jake could vaguely make out the outlines of roads and buildings. Jake and Ute sat in silence for a few moments as they took in the sights from high above in the shuttle as it continued its descent. It was disconcerting for them as just a few hours ago, they had thought that they were going to leave this world with all of its beauty, its magnificence, its _people,_ behind.

"Houston to shuttle 142, runway 3 cleared for landing. ETA 10 minutes." A loud voice boomed from the speaker.

"Roger that" Ute replied.

Within minutes, the shuttle touched down on the runway, its tires screeching. As the craft taxied and came to a stop, they could see a whole fleet of emergency vehicles parked around them, reminding them of the gravity of their ordeal. Jake and Ute shared a smile as the door of the shuttle opened.

 _It sure was good to be home._

Stepping onto hard asphalt was a surreal experience. The sensation of having solid ground beneath their feet was overwhelming for Jake and Ute as they took a few steps apprehensively. By now, the setting sun had cast a pinkish-gold hue over the sky. Looking up, a ' _whoa'_ escaped their lips in unison. Experiencing a sunset might have been a daily occurrence for most but Jake and Ute stood in silence for a moment to experience such as beautiful moment which they had almost lost the opportunity to experience again. "I guess you don't really appreciate life in all its glory until you have it taken away" Jake mused to himself as media cameras flashed at them. Applause rose around them as they made their way towards the convoy of SUVs lined up on the runway.

After the initial excitement and buzz had waned, Jake decided that it was time to head home. After all, he couldn't wait to get back to his daughter who had been waiting for him anxiously all this time. The feeling of Ute's fingers interlocked in his caused him to cast a smile at her. _Life sure is good_ he thought to himself as they made their way to his blue ford pickup. On the ride back, Ute rested her hand on his thigh as she fell into a peaceful slumber. In a few hours, the blue pickup rolled into the dirt road outside his trailer.

"Wakeup sleepy head" he whispered as he kissed her forehead tenderly. Ute merely let out a reluctant groan and settled back into the comfort of the seat. Letting out a sigh, Jake slipped his muscular arms underneath her back and lifted her up. With her face buried snugly in his chest, he moved slowly towards the door of the trailer. After laying her gently onto his bed, Jake couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth run through his entire being as Ute slept peacefully. After getting a quick bite and a shower, he curled up beside her as fatigue took over him.

Jake awoke to Ute stirring beside him. As his eyes fluttered open, he felt the warmth and softness of her body enveloping him in a tight embrace. Looking into her eyes, he leaned in for a kiss. As their lips collided, Jake savored the taste of her on the tip of her tongue. After what felt like a few seconds but was probably a few minutes, they pulled away from each other.

"We gonna lie here for the whole day or what? C'mon I'm hungry." Ute said after a while as she pulled herself off the bed. Jake smiled and followed her into the kitchen.

Thanks for reading guys, I'll update it next week. In the meantime, I wish y'all a happy new year and all the best in achieving your goals.


	4. Chapter 4

Jake's kitchen was pretty unkempt. Unwashed dishes were still left in the sink but Ute didn't seem to mind as she made her way to his fridge. Her eyes scanned its contents before letting out a sigh. "All you've got are a couple of cans of bud-light and some eggs. You're not really giving me much to work with are you?" She teased. Jake grinned sheepishly. " Yeah, I haven't stocked it up for a few weeks." Pushing away a strand of her hair, she looked at him and said " I guess we'll have to eat out then. Let's get some grocery shopping done too." Jake nodded in agreement as he made his way to the door. Ute followed behind him but something caught her eye. The framed photograph on the wall showed Jake and another woman. Between them stood a cheerful girl with brown hair. Ute took a good look at the photo before Jake yelled " You coming?". Getting into the truck he said "Let's hit up the diner. They serve some really good pancakes." She smiled as the Ford pulled out of the driveway. The rays of sunlight shone through the windscreen, casting a warm golden glow on them. They sat in silence for a few moments as they took in the sight of trees passing by before she asked " You have a daughter?"

Jake beamed and replied " Yep I do. As cheesy as it may sound, she's my best friend in the whole world. Some days when I don't really have the strength to get out of bed, she's my motivation to continue to take on life head on." Then he said in a more serious tone " You remember Shanghai? After using Dutch boy to take out that typhoon, I was reprimanded for my reckless behaviour and dismissed. The first few days afterwards sucked. I just couldn't grapple with the idea that although I just saved the world, not only did I not receive any recognition, I was also lambasted. Spending time with her helped alot. I realised that I still had a purpose you know? Sometimes my heart breaks when I think how hard it must be on her … I tried to stay in the marriage but things just didn't work out for the both of us. I try my best to make sure that she doesn't feel like a minority just because me and her mother are no longer together but i'm not sure if its enough…"

Ute placed a comforting hand on his thigh and gently rubbed it. She said softly " I'm sure she appreciates it and she probably loves you very much too. Don't be so hard on yourself okay? I think you're a great dad." Jake swallowed before letting out a small grin. " Thank you" he replied softly. The pair sat in silence for the rest of the ride before the pickup pulled up into the driveway of the Denny's.


End file.
